If I understand the smoothie bowl trend correctly, the idea is to make a smoothie, and eat it like soup. Cold, delicious, breakfast soup topped with healthy things. And when I say healthy things, I mean ALL THE HEALTHY THINGS. Since I moved to Peoria with a random assortment of nuts and seeds that are hanging on their last leg, I used what I had in my kitchen. This smoothie is topped with almonds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, and flax seeds. Most of this stuff doesn't add much flavor. My smoothie does not taste like chia seeds. The toppings add a little bit of flavor, but mostly texture...which is something I'm a fan of. Remember though, don't go overboard on these toppings. Serving sizes for nuts and seeds aren't huge, and you can very quickly pile on the calories. One thing I will note is that even though chia seeds are super trendy, I've recently become an actual fan of them. They have this wonderful, "secret power." They expand more than double their size in your stomach, aiding in the fill value of your meal. If this isn't a reason to love them, I don't know what is. Other toppings you may try are things like buckwheat groats, spirulina, or even cereal. I don't know what buckwheat groats or spirulina taste like, and I can't really afford them right now either, but people use them. And I ate all my cereal, so that wasn't an option today. What can I say? I had the late night munchies this weekend...
So for the smoothie. As a smoothie amateur, I don't have a specific ratio of ingredients that I would stand by, till death do us part. BUT, I do have a general set of guidelines that I follow when making smoothies, and my smoothie comes out pretty darn perfect every time--it's all about knowing the texture you desire and adjusting your amounts to meet those expectations. Ya hear? What I add depends on my mood. I've tried all the trendy things too. I've added chia seeds and oats. You can't even tell they are there--so added bonus! I've done the whole spinach and kale thing, but if we are being honest, I don't like it. I don't know why, but I try to avoid green drinks. They weird me out. There are very few foods I am afraid to drink/eat, however green drinks are one of them. With that being said my smoothie bowl has a few spinach leaves in it. But when I say a few, I mean 3. Because once I start seeing the color of the spinach, I get weirded out. I can't explain it. Below I'm listing my very general guidelines to making a tasty smoothie. Use it as you wish, customize as you like, and share your smoothie creations below!
Build A bEtter Smoothie
(or if you get super hungry like me, it makes 1 32 oz smoothie)
Ingredients: 1 cup liquid (this can be anything- I like to do half soy milk and half OJ, or half soy milk and half coffee) 1/2 cup greek yogurt (I typically use vanilla greek yogurt but use any flavor you like--including plain) 1/2 banana (because potassium) 3/4 to 1 cup fruit (I typically use a variety of fresh and frozen) 1/2 scoop protein powder (this can absolutely be left out. I just have a habit of making a meal out of my smoothies. I prefer vanilla protein powder) 3-5 ice cubes (or however many you need to reach your desired consistency) Optional Mix Ins: honey (to taste) Green leaves (spinach, kale, etc) 1 tbsp flax seed or chia seed 2 tbsp oats 1.5 tsp cocoa powder 1 tbsp PB2 1 tbsp of your favorite nutbutter spices | Instructions: Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve in a bowl with toppings or drink out of a glass with a straw. Enjoy! Examples: Pumpkin, Coffee, Banana Smoothie 1/2 cup soy milk 1/2 cup coffee 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt 1/2 banana 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder 2 spinach leaves 5 ice cubes (or as many as you'd prefer) BERRY delicious smoothie 1/2 cup soy milk 1/2 cup OJ 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt 1/2 banana 1 cup mixed berries (I like strawberries and raspberries- 1/2 cup frozen, 1/2 cup fresh) 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder 3-5 ice cubes |